A worker clearing a manhole even as people walk through a flooded stretch in Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
In a weeks’ time, all manholes in the city will be covered with a grill, those lying on the arterial roads will be painted red, and others identified as dangerous or are prone to water logging conditions will bear a red flag – all as enhanced safety features – for the fast-approaching monsoon.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), according to officials, has a sewage network spanning 5,767 kms. Municipalities located on the city outskirts account for another 4,200 kms. And officially, there are about 6.35 lakh manholes, including 63,221 categorised as deep manholes. About 42% deep manholes are in GHMC limits.
Discussing the monsoon action plan on Monday, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) Managing Director C. Sudarshan Reddy said covering of manholes with grills was taken up as a safety mission and most of the work has been completed in the city. He however advised residents to dial the Board on 155313, if they come across a damaged manhole lid, opened unauthorisedly, or kept open.
“The focus should be on drinking water supply and sewage management. No supply of contaminated water and adequate chlorine in water must be ensured. Complaints on sewage management must be viewed seriously and resolved in under 30 minutes,” he told officials on Monday, and advised them to use pollution identification machines.
Continuous observation of the 120 water logging points, cleanup of removed silt, warning boards, protective equipment for field staff, must be part of everyday work checklist, he said.
Special teams
While field-level managers are to inspect their limits closely and prepare daily situation report on water logging points and manholes, special teams are also assigned specific duties.
The Central Safety Protocol Cell first set up in 2022 is a six-member team headed by the chief vigilance officer who acts as the chief safety protocol officer. The team is equipped with a patrol vehicle, a constable, two home guards and communication equipment, to audit – and monitors daily reports received from the field, and ensures compliance of safety measures in work areas.
Emergency Response Team will provide relief measures in situations of crises and works closely with GHMC Disaster Management Team.
The Safety Protocol Team, a special security team for the Water Board, examines whether safety measures are being followed at its various workplaces. Inspections are conducted at all O&M sites to ensure compliance with safety regulations. Each team is assigned a division, and their work includes installation of safety signs, geo-tagging and other works.
